Chimney-thimble



(No Model.)

C. F. GRE

UNITED STATESv PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES F. GREEN, OFVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CHIMNEY- THIMBLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,587, dated July 7,1896.

Application ned April 26, 1895,

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. GREEN, of the city and county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, haveV invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Chimney-Thimbles; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspeciiication, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of myimproved chimney-thimble applied to a chimney, also showing thesurrounding woodwork and plastering, with a part of said thimble,chimney, woodwork, and plastering broken away to more clearly illustratemy improvements. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sect-ion through thethimble, and'Fig. 3 is a central horizontal section thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a thimble for chimneys whichmay be easily and expeditiously applied to any ordinary house-chimney;that is self-adjustable, so as to conform to any unequal settlement orhorizontal movement forward or back of either the chimney or woodworksurrounding the same, and thus preventing the usual bulging out andcracking of the plastering around said thimble, and also serving as anefficient safeguard against iire to surrounding woodwork withoutbricking around the thimble, as is now commonly done.

Said invention consists of an artificial stone thimble proper having theouter face thereof preferably slightly recessed around its opening toreceive a flat ring having vertical transverse slots in opposite sidesthereof, through which are passed screws fastened into the stone thimbleproper to hold said ring in position, and at the same time permit it tomove vertically up or down.

It further consists of a detachable collar adapted to fit endwise intothe opening of the stone thimble proper and secured at or near its outerend in the opening of a metal face-plate, having dovetail-shapehorizontal corrugations H', and adapted to be secured to the wood framearound the thimble, as and for the purpose hereinafter more fully setforth.

In order that others may better understand the nature and purpose of mysaid invention,

Serial No. 547,231. (No model.)

'I will now proceed to describe it more in de-V tail.

' In the drawings, A represents the chimney; 55 B, the stone thimbleproper fitted therein; C, the Wood frameworkaround the thimble; D, thelaths secured thereto, and E the plaster spread upon said laths. f f

The thimble proper B is in practice pref- 6c erably made from artificialstone 5 but I do notlimit myself to said material. Aside from the recessin its face and the fiat ring fitted therein, previously alluded to, theconstruction of said stone part is not new, and will therefore notrequire a detailed description. The recess a is made a little deeperthan the thickness of the flat ring F, of about the same width as theoutside horizontal diameter of the ring, and of sufficient height topermit of 7o the required vertical movements of said ringand the partswhich move with it, as will bev hereinafter described. At each side ofsaid ring are formed transverse vertical slots b b, through whichhorizontal screws c care passed 7 5 and fastened in the stone thimbleproper, B, the purpose of said slots and screws being, as is obviousfrom reference to the drawings, to hold the flat ring in its properposition against the face of the stone thimble, and at 8o the same timepermit it to move up and down vertically, as aforesaid. A removablecollar G is adapted to fit endwise into the central opening F of thering F and is secured near its outer end to a face-plate H, having acen- 8 5 tral transverse opening to receive it, and also made withhorizontal dovetail-shape grooves or corrugations H to receive and holdthe mortar E. Said horizontally-corru gated faceplate is secured aroundthe edges to the wood 9o framework by means of nails d or other suitablefastenings.

By the use of a iiat ring fitting in a`recess against the face of thestone thimble a collar G, fitted endwise therein, extending quite adistance into the thimble-openin g, and a metal face-plate securedthereto and to the surrounding wood frame, as above described, it willat once be apparent that the danger from fire escaping around thechimney-thimble to roo ignite the woodwork is reduced to a minimum..

It will also be observed that by the adoption of the flat recessed ringF, with the side slots and holdin g-screws, the metal portions of thethimble device are permitted to move together vertically up or downfreely. Consequently, if the wood partition or other woodwork around thethimble settles unequally with the chimney, it is permitted to do sowithout injury to the plastering around said thimble, and by thecoinbinatiomwith said fiat ring, of the collar G, fitted to slidehorizontally therein, horizontal movement of the chimney or woodwork ispermitted Without injury to the plastering, thereby removing two seriousand very objectionable features to the common inode of rigidly securingan iron thirnble in the chimney and briclzing tight around it outside ofthe chimney, be-4 tween said thimble and the usual Wood frame around thesame. By my invention said bricking around the thimble is whollydispensed with, as it is unnecessary to employ the same to insureperfect safety against fire.

By the use of a horizontally-corrugated plate,as described andshown,perfect clenches are provided for the mortar, to hold thesamesecurely in place, and a stiff rigid `background also provided therefor,as durable, if not more so, than the usual lathed surfaces.

In applying my improved thimble the stone part B is preferably fitted inthe chimney when the latter is built, the recessed flat ring beingsecured thereto at that time, and forming a part of the thiinble proper.After said stone part has been fitted, the face-plate H and its collarmay be fitted and secured in place at any time prior to plastering. In

fitting said parts the iiat ring is, in practice, pushed up so that theholdin g-screws c c will come at or below the center of the side slots bb in said ring, about as shown in Fig. 1, so as to permit either thechimney or woodwork to settle, more or less, without affecting theother. Since thewoodwork is more liable to settle than the chimney,owing to shrinkage of said woodwork, in addition to settling, the ring Fis usually, in practice, moved so as to bring the screws c c near thebottom of the slots b Z7.

I reserve the right to modify the construction as circumstances mayrequire in carrying out the principle of my invention.

I am aware that several patents have been issued for chimneylthimblesembodying means whereby unequal settlement is provided for, to preventbulging and cracking the plastering around the thimble, and I thereforelimit my invention to substantially the construction and arrangementherein set forth, and pointed out in .the claim.

YVhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A chiinney-thimble, comprising in combination the thimble proper, thefiat ring having means for fastening it to said thimblc proper andadapted to slide vertically on the face thereof; the pipe-collar fittedin said flat ring, and the face-plate having corrugations therein tohold the plaster, also fitted and fastened to the pipe-collar andadapted to be fastened' at its edges to the Woodwork around thechimney-thimble opening, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES F. GREEN.

Witnesses:

A. A. BARBIER, W. B. Nounsn.

